inbetween

I uploaded these photos and have been trying to post something to say about them for days but things just keep getting busier, and pretty soon I will have a six month post for Jack and then this will get lost in the sands of time, so I better just post with less description than I otherwise would. Everyone's really in this for the pictures, anyway.

This is Rachael. Rachael was Jack's first babysitter. She's gone now. We are sad.








Last week I became a full-time mom again for the first time in three months, and it's gotten harder since then! It was an in-between week, after Rachael had moved back home (she graduated) and before the next undergrad returned home from a very brief summer break. So I was on my own. But not really on my own, I just had to be more creative with structuring my time. My friend Jenny from high school who now lives down the street from me came over to take Jack for a walk one day so I could get some work down. And my friend Cat with the beautiful Milena (reaching out to touch Jack here) came over another day for a play-date/care-swap so I could get some more work done. That worked out beautifully. I owe both those fantastic ladies big time.








And it was also a big week for friends in from out of town. Kate, my former-Sierra-Camper-turned-friend, was very excited to meet Jack for the first time. And Jack looks pretty excited about her, too. Or excited to be flying through the air, anyway. Kate and I had a day around Oakland, took Jack for a run, strolled the avenue, and he was the happiest baby ever. I'm always impressed how easy it is to keep him happy if I just stay outside all day. The kid loves the fresh air. I have to say I take some amount of pride in that, even though I really deserve no credit. Unless it's in my genes or something. Although as my mother likes to remind me, I was a bit of a wimpy child myself, who would've preferred to stay inside and play with my dolls instead of going canoeing or biking or camping or wherever else they dragged me. So maybe it's not in my genes. But I'm sure stoked it seems to come naturally to my child.










Sara, my Minnesotan friend that I met in Tasmania, was also in town from Southern California for the weekend, so we went out for a picnic in Marin. She was amazed how much Jack had grown since the last time she'd seen him, about three months ago. I would like to tell you more about this beautiful day but Jack is starting to melt down now (due to the aforementioned displeasure with being inside), so I have to move quickly now.














Danny also gave me a night out with the girls this week (because full-time moms get all kinds of perks), so while I was out getting a pedicure and having a drink, Danny had some man-time with Jack. In which Jack had his first airplane evacuation. Of his stomach. Danny had been playing fast and loose with giving him airplane rides over his head, and I think now he will be a little more cautious.

And finally, we had our return trip to the field to pick up what I'd put out two weeks ago, and I won't even go into the fiascos of that day because that is another story. But afterwards, we treated ourselves to a stop at Cameron's, our favorite inn on the coast with all kinds of quirky British paraphernalia strewn about outside. So we took a bunch of silly pictures of Jack with his daddy.
















And that was my inbetween week! I did it! I really shouldn't be congratulating myself because it is the most normal thing in the world, but once you get used to one thing, it's surprisingly hard to have that taken away from you. I don't know how my sister manages three kids (about to be four!) without help week after week. She has no inbetween weeks. She is a stud.